Preview: RSL at FC Dallas

Shorthanded Claret-and-Cobalt look for result at FC Dallas

March 22, 2013

RSL Communications

RealSaltLake.com

SANDY, Utah – A shorthanded Real Salt Lake side will aim for its first win in the state of Texas on Saturday, when it will take on Western Conference foe FC Dallas at 6:30 p.m. MT at FC Dallas Stadium.

Saturday’s match will be broadcast live on ABC4, ESPN700 AM and 102.3 La Gran D/1600 AM. ABC4 will air its 30-minute Ford Postgame Show immediately following the match; ESPN 700 will begin its pregame coverage at 5:30 p.m. MT and will air an hour-long postgame show immediately after the final whistle.

RSL drew its last match, getting an 80th minute equalizer from FW Alvaro Saborio to tie the Colorado Rapids 1-1 on March 16 at Rio Tinto Stadium.

The Claret-and-Cobalt could be without 11 players on Saturday due to international call-ups and injuries.

RSL will be missing five players due to international duty, with captain Kyle Beckerman (U.S.), DF Tony Beltran (U.S.), DF Abdoulie Mansally (Gambia), GK Nick Rimando (U.S.) and FW Alvaro Saborio (Costa Rica) all with their respective national teams for upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

Beckerman, Beltran, Rimando and the U.S. national team will take on Saborio and Costa Rica in a CONCACAF Hexagonal match in Denver on Friday night (8 p.m. MT; ESPN). Both the U.S. and Costa Rica will play qualifiers on March 26, with the Stars-and-Stripes taking on Mexico at Estadio Azteca (8:30 p.m. MT; ESPN) and Los Ticos hosting Jamaica. Mansally and Gambia will play at the Ivory Coast in a CAF qualifier on Saturday.

The Claret-and-Cobalt could be missing six additional players on Saturday due to injury and illness. MF Javier Morales (R Knee Meniscectomy), DF Chris Wingert (R Fractured Metatarsal), DF Carlos Salcedo (Concussion) and MF David Viana (R Quad Strain) will all miss the match, while the statuses of DF Rich Balchan (L Abdominal Non-Descript Muscle Injury) and MF Khari Stephenson (L MCL Sprain) are up in the air.

RSL went 1-1-1 against FC Dallas in 2012, tying Dallas 1-1 on the road on April 25 before beating FCD 3-2 at home on May 26 and giving up a late goal to drop a 2-1 result on Aug. 18. The Claret-and-Cobalt has never won in the state of Texas, posting a 0-18-3 mark across all competitions in the Lone Star State and a 0-10-2 record across all competitions at Dallas.

FCD is 2-1-0 on the season, beating Colorado 1-0 at home in its season opener on March 2, losing 3-1 at Chivas USA on March 10 and getting a late goal from FW Kenny Cooper to down Houston 3-2 on March 17.

The Claret-and-Cobalt will play its second home game of the season on March 30, when it will take on Seattle Sounders FC at Rio Tinto Stadium.

Stay tuned to www.RealSaltLake.com and follow the club on Twitter @RealSaltLake for all the latest news and information on the team ahead of Saturday’s MLS matchup at FC Dallas.

How to Follow Real Salt Lake at FC Dallas

Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. MT at FC Dallas Stadium in Frisco, Texas

TV: ABC4 (Ford Postgame Show to immediately follow final whistle)

English Radio: ESPN700 AM (Pregame begins at 5:30 p.m. MT)

Spanish Radio: La Gran D 102.3 FM & Juan 1600 AM

Online: The @RealSaltLake Twitter Feed will provide live match updates

MLS Game Guide for Saturday’s RSL at FCD Match Now Available Online

Following is the link to the Adobe PDF version of the MLS Game Guide in advance of Saturday’s contest between Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas.